Macro Bots: Long Solace
Premise In a post war world, many Super Robots are switching to smaller bodies better suited for non-combat roles. However a few refuse to change their bodies, as they cannot let go of the past. Characters * New Models: Those bots that have opted down for smaller bodies. Their culture is now more geared towards exploration and research. ** Battle Solus: Bearer of the Matrix and supreme leader of the robots, was one of the first to downscale, ostracizing him from the remaining bulks who view that as a betrayal. ** pending. * Bulks: The term now used for those robots who have kept their 'super robot' bodies from the war. They are disliked due to the larger amounts of fuel needed by a demographic that effectively does nothing. ** Mega Convoy: Main Character. ** Magna Supreme: A female commander unit. Is frustrated with the current position of bulks, but also wishes for a place in the world. ** Blaster: A skeptic and a 'size purist'. ** Optimum ** pending * Sol: The creator/main deity of the super robots. * Deathrons/The Enemy: A rogue group of super robots who caused the great war. Things of Note * Sol: Name of the creator god of the Robots, he is also called the 'Great Generator'. His name is the source of the rank of 'Solus' and is believe to communicate via the Matrix of Light. * Matrix of Light: Also called the Sunstone, the Sol Crystal, it holds the memories of its past users, and is said to serve as a direct link to Sol. Those that are chosen to bare it are gained the honorific/rank of Solus, before or after their name. It is seen as a holy object. It is also called the Talisman of Sol, or just the Talisman by those more skeptical. * The Great Generator: The planet core which generates all Nexus Energy that condenses into Engen, produces Embers and transforms normal matter into the programmable metal the robots use to build themselves. Is also another name for Sol, who doctrine holds is the 'ghost in the machine'. * Engen: The plasma based fuel the robots run on. Generally produced by the Generator. Artificial substitutes exist but they are not as enriching as the 'true' variant. It is for this reason the homeworld is so important. * Embers: Effectively the Plasma based lifeforms that is the core, irreducible self of every robot, good or bad. They require fuel to continue running, particularly Engen, which maintains their consistency. * Solus: A title given to the leader of the Animex people. The bearer of the title carries the Matrix of Light in their body. * Deathtrons: The 'enemy' the 'bad guys', they actually call themselves the 'Tyranicons', after their belief of 'self control', as the word 'Tyrant' int heir language doesn't hold the same negative implications as it does on Earth. Deathtrons is an insult that stuck, in reference to their war crimes. They were defeated and banished from known space. * Animex: The 'good guys', the victors of the war. ** Military Ranks *** Solus: Highest Rank and one chosen by the Matrix of Light *** Supreme: Highest rank without the Matrix, and typically members of the Council of Supremes. *** Convoy: Commander *** Magnus: Sub-Commander *** Major: Captain, lowest rank to expect to be in command of a base, or staship. *** Minor: Sub-captain ** Non Military Ranks and social positions *** Solus: Is also spiritual leader *** Primal: A revered Elder, one of the first sentients risen up from savagery by Sol himself, according to legend. Seen as wise men and sages by some, and a secretive order, the focus of conspiracy theories, by others, and even just warlocks by the Tyrants. Only they have access to the Great Generator. *** Jaegger: Lawmen, anything from a cop, to a bounty hunter. * Guilds Domestic: The civilians guilds that keep society running. * Peons: The name for the non-bulk size robots before and during the war. They were known for their power to transform and were remodeled to combine with larger robots as extra batteries/weapons. They were treated as slaves basically, until the current Solus changed the laws that gave them rights. This also preceded the need for the upgrade to smaller bodies, due to the lack of Engen after the war. * Bulks: The older, larger models and those that wear them. They stand around 25 to 30 feet on average. They are currently considered inefficient, fuel guzzlers and many Animex have switched to newer smaller bodies. Some refuse and this has caused a rift among their society. Part 1 "Destroy them...!" shouted the robot. He was large, bulky and intimidating, with grey and green armor plating, a visor style eye piece, mouth plate and a large plasma cannon on his arm. He stood atop a blasted hill, as other robots, all of them sporting, spiky and/or menacing designs rushed forward like a tide of armor, servos and blasters. "Forward...!" shouted the other robot. He was large, heroic in build and intimidating, with a red and blue paint theme. His face was human like, with a helmet not unlike a samurai's, small blasters on his forearms, wings and jet engines on his back and a sword handle on his side. As he said that, other heroically designed robots rushed forward behind him for the final push. The two forces clashed beneath the stars on an alien land composed of grey soil and large amounts of naturally forming metal plating. Energy sword was buried in armor plating, blasters took out eyes, or limbs, punches removed jaws, or even entire face plates. Above them in the sky raged with starships, which unleashed upon each side walls of fire. This was it, judgement day, one final battle to end the war and decide the fate of a race, no...perhaps the entire galaxy. It was the last battle, for some, that title was more than simply just that. The robot awoke on a large slab of metal, with some monitoring equipment next to it. The apartment was small, cramped and almost derelict with its rusty panels and partially visible wires and tubing. There was a TV screen, flatscreen, and some chairs and a table, but this place was effectively barren. It wouldn't be wrong to call it abandoned, except someone lived there but then again their situation wasn't so different. The robot was blue and yellow, with the occasional red line. Their shoulder plating was very large, their helmet, like a samurai's with a crest like a sun on the forehead. There were parts on his armor, that spoke of modules removed, looking like scars as he sat up with eyes that spoke of someone waiting forever to expire. He simply sighed. The robot looked at the screen beside their recharge table. The alien characters were easy for them to read, it was 'their' language after all. He had received fifteen percent of the fuel he had gotten last recharge. He growled, ready to punch the screen, but he hesitated. He couldn't afford to replace it. "Sol damn it..." Outside, the apartment complex shared the same 'design' as the inside of his apartment, old and practically broken down. It also overlooked a scrapyard were other bots like himself had gathered for 'social interaction'. There wasn't much to interact about. So long as they had fuel, they would stay alive and it had been years since they had done anything. Had it been last week, last year, last decade, last century, millennium, epoch since the war ended? It was hard to tell, but it wasn't hard to tell how much they had faded, how much the color of their armor plating had been worn out, not by conflict, but the simple march of time. "Can you believe this scrap?" asked a robot. Her design was feminine besides the regular look of a warrior she shared with the others "The little pieces of slag cut our fuel again!" "See...!" said a light green robot "They're trying to starve us out! They want us meek and weak so they can come and shove us into their 'new bodies'! Sol strike them all down I say!" "I will talk to him..." said the first robot. "Convoy..." he said nodding in respect "But to be serious, we all know that traitor no longer cares about us!" Others among them shouted in agreement. "Maybe, maybe not, but he still has to answer us." "I say we march on that little traitor!" Convoy stared at him. "What...?" "Let's keep that in our back container. I would rather not burn down the world I spent so much time trying to save." "Bah! This is hardly 'our' world..." It was hard to argue with that. Convoy marched towards the main portion of the city, the sprawling metropolis of golden towers and smooth roads, where all the metal panels shined. This was the realm of the 'New Models' bots with smaller bodies, roughly half his size, and this city, was built for them, by them. All new models that were brought online did so in these newer, smaller, less energy draining forms. The side walks were not made for a bot his size as he took up most of it, nor the doors that he had to crawl into, nor the train as he sat down with his legs touching the other side and garnering looks from the younger bots. The older ones tried to not look at him altogether. Unlike him, their color had not faded out, the light of their optics was still bright. He truly felt like an alien on his own world. To make things worse, these newer bots now had extra features, cockpits and jet wings, car doors, wheels, or entire car hoods for chests or shoulder armor. It only made sense to him when he saw some of them outside, transform, rearrange their bodies in to vehicle forms and drive off. Convoy face gave a look of surprise that was almost stuck on his face. Eventually he reached his destination, a large black building in front of which was a golden statue of a robot with a war hammer, covered in fire and sporting a halo composed of lightning. Most looked at it with awe, but it was hard for him to feel that, especially since he was taller than it. He walked up the stairs and crawled in, and made his way to the desk. "Yes, sir, Megas Convoy, the Solus has been expecting you. From there it was a rather uncomfortable crawl towards the stair well and up to the right floor and then the right office. It was large, spacious, he could lean over instead of crawl. It sported tapestries showing numerous battles from the war and other events. At the end of this room, in front of the large room was the Solus, the leader of the entire planet, chosen by Sol himself, via his talisman. The red and yellow bot, sported flames and wore a cape as he sat with his elbows on the table and his hands clasped, clearly expecting him. Convoy could remember his prior form, when he was the tallest of them all and stood like a giant leading them in that last battle. "Convoy..." he said with nod. "We have a problem." "I guessed as much, you don't ever seem to visit to just say 'hello'..." Convoy grumbled. "Spare me the idle threats convoy, I may be half your size but we both know I can still school you. Also, to make a long story short....no" "No what...?" "No, we're not upping the amount of fuel we send to the scrapyard..." "That is our home...!" "It is also your choice, when you chose to not get with the times." "This is who we are...!" the Solus sighed. "No, what we 'were', and what we 'were', was a race at wart with itself. For all our other reasons the primary question that separated us was, 'what next'. We said we could get what we needed without force of arms, they disagreed...and so to prove their point they went to war with us. Now in the aftermath this world is still recovering. We have begun projects, investments that will hopefully see to our energy problems, help us in trade, and allow us to expand back into the golden age." "When last I checked, the ancients who made that golden age were like us..." "Spare me the sizism, we cannot afford it, we could not afford to maintain our numbers at your size. The last battle was the last battle anyone could afford." "You're trying to starve us into compliance!" "You're a group of massive bots, who do nothing, contribute nothing, but demand practically as much fuel as entire neighborhoods several times your population. You won't go into stasis, you won't shrink down, you won't even allow yourselves to be upgraded with fuel saving technology. You are stubborn and foolish and in your folly you have made yourselves...liabilities to this society. No one forced you to not change, no one decided to leave you behind." He growled again. "I do however have a possible solution." "What...?" "Leave..." "Excuse me...?" "We've been notified, in a distant star system, 'they' have returned..." Part 2 "This is a trap!" shouted Blaster, the same naysayer from before. It was dark now, and the bulks, the large bots had gathered around the makeshift fire that lit up the place. "They want us on that shuttle to blow us up, or to strand us in deep space!" "Don't be absurd...!" said Magna the female from before "We are war heroes..." "We are unwanted...!" "And what do you suggest Blaster?" asked Convoy "I say we march up to that blasted traitor's office and take the talisman!" "You, we, would be dead. We do not have weapons, and our current levels of energy means fighting at full power is out of the question... And the most, if not, one of the most important buildings on the planet, you really think there won't be protection...?" "Hah! Like their puny weapons could harm us!" "Their 'puny' weapons also include missiles and anti-tank weaponry. Also, do you really think the people will be behind us if we did that, kill the rightful Solus, take the talisman by force...and if it doesn't mark you there and then?!" "Are you saying I'm not worthy?!" he barked. "That is not for any of us to decide, and if it is decided that you're not? What you wish to rule by force, that is, was 'their' method of operation and look how it ended for them. Backstabbing, betrayals, civil wars and infighting." "I-" "SIT DOWN!" Blaster was caught off-guard "We've had enough of your bad ideas." Blaster grumbling. "Then what do you suggest...?" asked Magna. Convoy paused. "We really don't have much of a choice in the matter. They say we don't contribute anything, that we're a waste of mass and energy...We need to prove that we are still needed." "You are right..." said Mega "We have no choice in the matter, we have to go..." "So..." said Blaster "one more battle then, then what...?" "Then we find a solution. For too long we've sat in this junkyard, waiting...expecting the world to change for us. When we return, we will return as heroes, and the people, the Parliament, will have to listen to us." The group cheered. Convoy and the other 'bulks' found themselves cared for. Their armor was polished by mechanical arms, and they were examined for rusting, and other maladies that they could've contracted in the junkyard, before being fully fueled and escorted to their shuttle. "Where are our weapons...?" asked Blaster, a bit forcefully. Battle Solus looked at him with little love for his tone. "You will get them on the way. The stasis pods have been programmed to reinstall your weapons." "Stasis pods?!" shouted Blaster "No one said anything about..." "Enough..." said Mega "But he has a point." "We do not have time to be waiting on each of you as your are to be rearmed. The stasis pods and their medical abilities can and have been programmed to reinstall your weapons." "Huh, no time to arm us, but enough time to code all of that?!" said Blaster. "You assume the code was written, what? Yesterday? No..." said Solus "We wrote it long ago, we like being prepared...Or I do at least..." Blaster growled. "Very well..." said Mega "What?!" said Blaster "You trust him...?!" "He fought and killed beside us and we fought and died on his orders. If we was so untrustworthy, would we have fought for him?" Blaster grumbled, the argument had been decided and the bulks marched onto the shuttle and found their way to their stasis pods, capsules where they could turn off and conserve energy while they waited. One by one they made their way into their pods, and the doors closed and the entire shuttle rumbled as it took off into the air, into space. "Why hello there..." said the strange golden mech with red fire themed tribal markings. His helmet sported wings on the side, and a 'false chin' like an Egyptian pharaoh. His armor was gold, but his face was marble white with red tear like markings that came down from his eyes to his cheeks to the corners of his mouth. His left optic was golden, but his right one was closed for some reason. His helmet, it sported lines above the brow, on what would be the scalp where twin glowing lines ran radiating a head of fire. He was regal, and despite the youth in his face, he gave off a grandfatherly feeling, the feeling that he was very old. The strange mech sat at a table with a white table cloth, in a white void with a mirror or sorts for the floor. In his hand was a cup of Engen, the glowing fuel his race thrived on, and Mega found himself there at that table, his armaments returned and confused as ever. "What?" he said jumping up out of the seat "What is going on here?!" All he remembered was going offline, going to sleep in the stasis pod, how did he end up here? "Where are we?!" "Well..." said the mech "technically we are not...anywhere..." "What...?" Mega aimed his weapons at the mech "A straight answer, where are we...?!" "We are in your head..." the mech took a sip. "What? You expect me to believe that?!" "Not really relevant..Mega..." "You know my name...?" "Well I should, I am Sol after all..." "What...?" said Mega in a look of shock and disbelief. "You know, Sol, from whom the title 'Solus' was derived, the creator of the Talisman of Light, which bares my 'essence' and from whom all of your Embers descend? The great one 'forged in the cosmic furnace'? Oh you mortals and your stories..." He said amused. "...What?!" Part 3 "Really..." said Sol annoyed "is that your only response, 'what'?" "Even if I believed that, and I don't why would you...visit me, and not Battle Solus?" "I have a direct line to him, in case you forgot...and it's not him I wanted to talk to. Why won't you scale down...?" "What...?" "Say what, again..." said Sol opening his other golden optic, his tone growing to a growl "say it again and see if I don't smack your ember out of you..." "Uhh..." Mega suddenly found himself sitting as Sol took another sip, closing his right eye and calming down. "Okay, why does it bother you and shouldn't you be 'all-knowing'?" "Indeed, but what's the point of an answer to a question never asked?" Mega gave a stare of annoyance. "How can I, how could we, the enemy was still out there, 'is' still out there, it's why we are on this ship!" "The enemy was broken and derived off access to both the Matrix and the home world, without which they cannot hope to survive for long. Even without me in his ear, Solus knows this attack, was just some vagabonds trying to survive. This is obvious to you." "You don't know that?" "I do..." "What do you know?!" "I know...that you made a choice and now you try to justify it. I know you and the others cannot admit, than you chose to be left behind." "They left us behind..." "To walk in the past is to walk in shadow, in darkness." "Oh, is that how you're going to sell this now...? Idioms?" "Don't be coy, I am 'he with great patience and little mercy'. Do not test me..." "Huh, you sound like he of 'little patience'." There was silence. "Did you come here just to question my life choices?" "Yes...and no. I came here to give an order...and maybe advice." "Oh, and what advice is that...?" "Kill Blaster." Mega slammed his hands onto the table. "A problem...?" "Blaster is my friend, my comrade, we have fought together...!" "He 'was', he is hardly that anymore. He is a bitter, angry, petty thing now, mad that the world he fought for, no longer confirms to his view of it. I tell you now. There are several...factions among your little group. Those that seek to prove themselves and their worth, they follow you, though you don't know it. There are those like Blaster who hope to unite with the Deathrons and conquer the homeworld, ushering an age of tyranny and there are those who hope to end it all in the coming battle." "You're joking." "Not right now. If Blaster's faction wins...you all die. You who would defend your home will be slain and destroyed, along with those looking for an end. Yet Blaster will not be victorious." "If there is no threat to home, why-" "It is your life and that of your friends we are concerned about. Do not forget...Battle likes to be prepared. He was prepared to restore all of you in stasis, should it be needed, do you think he wouldn't be prepared if you lot were not cooperative?" "Battle and the others, they need us, they-" "If you lot were so important, would they have been lowering your fuel intakes? Would they, as you put it, left you to rust? This is not about politics, or sociology, or such, not right now. Right now, I'm telling you how to save your friends, and give them a future. For that, the solution is simple...step into the light, and cast off those that would try to pull you back into the shadows." Mega slouched over. "Do I get any say in this...any-" "Choice? Blaster has already made his choice, all that is required now is the consequences. Kill him now, kill him later, but whether you want to strike him down is trivial. He 'will' be at arms against you." "I would never picture the 'Great Lord Sol' dishing out assassination contracts." "Oh, child, I've done lots of things you wouldn't 'believe'. Make of that what you will. Now...time to wake up." Sol snapped his fingers. Mega's circuits sizzled with pain as the extreme cold and the sudden, near instantaneous shift to hot, hit his sensory circuits and snapped him back into awareness. He was supposed to be asleep when that happened, in fact, it was what would've woken him up normally, and by the time he registered this his armor plating would've been quickly reducing to a normal temperature. Mega felt the systems underneath his armor plating immediately begin to thaw out, and the systems near his ember thaw, and start up. He felt and registered other systems that were long gone, weapons, like the blasters on his forearms, the wings and jet pack on his back, and a few others. Mega woke up and...he felt strong, he felt powerful. He felt like he did before the war ended...and he found it odd how little joy he felt at this sensation. Then he remembered what he 'dreamed' and it was hard to feel such things. Mega opened his capsule and walked out, watching his wings and looked to see everyone else. Basically everyone was in some state euphoria or jubilation at their returned armaments and topped up fuel tanks. Blaster was there practically kissing his biceps, he turned to see Mega walking towards him, with his grim expression. "What's wrong with you...?" "Nothing..." said Mega as he walked past patting him on the shoulder. "Now, where its the bridge?" Part 4 "What is all of this stuff...?" asked Blaster. He, Magnus and a few others had followed Mega into the bridge. It was a large room with a window stretched across the wall in front of them, showing the void. The room was filled with terminals, all scaled to size for the 'bulks' but not technology they were familiar with. The screens and what should've been the keyboards, were black screens also. It was Magnus who touched the first terminal, and the touchscreen keyboards and screens lit up with a blue glow. "Statement: Welcome..." said a disembodied voice "I am OMOS." "I've heard of you..." said Mega "a virtual intelligence..." "An A.I..?" asked Blaster "No, this one does not really learn though it does have room for making more context." "It's just a machine...?" said Blaster dismissively "Basically...Omos, what information do you have for us?" "Information: Subject; designate Magna Supreme is commanding officer of the ship and its crew on Order of Battle Solus." "What...?!" shouted Blaster. "Information: Subject; designate Magna Supreme-" "We got that..." said Mega "He wants to know why...?" "Information: Battle Solus chose unit, Magna Supreme, as Commander." "That is not..." said Blaster sighing "Okay, how do we fly this ship, or is it on autopilot?" "Information: The ship is on an automated course to the mission destination. Controls are in place to monitor systems, navigation, life support, defenses and weapons. Ship com system has integrated all Bulk units into its network for the remainder of the mission." "They tampered with us...?" shouted Blaster. "Blaster..." said Mega with a tired tone "That's a software procedure, it happens at every base we ever went to..." "Oh..." he replied somewhat embarrassed. "Well how long until we reached those Deathrons?!" "Calculation: Six Cycles, Four Mega-Cycles and two stellar cycles." Everyone was surprised. "Then why have we been woken up already?!" "Information: Command believed it best that you be awake to prepare yourselves and your strategy. A war room program has been prepared for you to use. It was also recommended that Ember bearing units be allowed to awaken, as over sleeping is known to have possible negative side effects on the condition of units." "Meaning...?" asked Magnus "They want us awake..." said Mega "because that way we will be ready, and oversleeping affects our health." "Huh...didn't know they cared so much..." she said with sarcasm. "Mega, what do you think...?" "Why are you asking him...?" asked Blaster "Because he knows how to be calm when making a decision..." "What does that mean?!" "It means, what it means, Mega?" Mega was busy thinking. "I think..." he said "We need to learn how these systems work and ready the warm room. Choose the team commanders and prepare out battle plans." "And who should be stuck working the machines?" asked Blaster with defiance. "Those less experienced with battle." said Magnus "Mega, you're leading team one, Optimum will lead team two and Blaster can lead team three. If the situation demands we further spread our forces, find some sub-commanders." "Who goes with who...?" asked Mega "They can decide that on their own. OMOS Launch the war room, anyone with computer experience get on the to figuring things out." A shiver ran up the spines of Mega, Magna, Blaster and Optimum, the red and blue and bulky robot. Their optics flashed and turned off as they stood up straight. The war room was not a physical place, it was a cyber construct utilizing their network and virtual avatars to hold meetings. Anyone could potentially join in, but the 'War Room' was a version of this restricted to people of rank. To their perspective, tunnels of light and square grids and rectangles opened in front of them, enveloping them. Each member of the group formed as pixels gathering and crystallizing into geometric shapes which gathered into humanoid forms that sported their general coloring, but also their face on visors. "Hey..." said Blaster "This isn't my avatar!" "This is a war room." said Magna "Avatar Blocking is the default. We are not here to be social." "Meh... So what now...?" "Computer, bring up all data on the mission at hand. Between them flickered into existence a holographic image of a planet. The image zoomed in, onto a moon, then onto a facility. Word appeared next to it. "Why would they bother attacking a primitive organic outpost?" "Just because they are organic..." said Mega "Doesn't mean they are primitive. There are organic races more advance than us..." "Impossible, they're not robotic..." Everyone turned and looked at him. "What...?" "Your idiocy aside..." said Magna "They attacked an energy processing plant. Most likely they are trying to acquire resources. It says this place is a mine, most commonly used to mine Iridium." "Scrap..." said Optimum "What...?" asked Blaster. "Iridium is used to create hard light matter." said Mega "An important component of making Engen of any worthwhile caliber." "So...we atomics it from orbit...?" "That would risk a war." said Magna, "perhaps the Deathrons would like that and chose this location for that reason, but regardless, we cannot nuke the place, nor do I advise orbital bombardment. Mega, thoughts..." "Hmmm..." went Mega "I would advise a team take point on the mountain behind the facility to lay down cover fire, and a pincer attack." "Pincer attack...?" asked Blaster. "We send one team out to attack from the front, they retreat, and lure out the defenders, we get a clearer idea what sort of numbers we are dealing with. The other two teams can provide cover fire, and the last team can storm the facility if need be..." "What makes you think, that will work...?" "It will work..." said Optimum "They were always a warlike bunch, focused on conquest and dominion. Having lost the war, such a victory would raise their spirits and draw them out as they go on the offensive." "I concur." Said Magna "I will remain here and chose your teams, until then, rest, prepare yourselves, it doesn't matter, just don't cause trouble. "Understood..." said Optimum "Whatever..." said Blaster dismissively. The two flickered out of existence, as their minds left the war room and returned to their bodies. "What's wrong...?" she said to Mega. "You're a Supreme...highest ranking person here, were it not for your size you would be on the council." "Get to the point..." "My point is, you didn't need my advise, if you did, I don't think you would've gotten your rank." "Watch your tone." "Sorry...but what is bothering you...?" "NOTH-" she paused "Since the war ended, I've been lost. Some people remained large because...they don't want to be small, to be...'weak'. Others, like me...just don't know what to do with ourselves, after all the fighting... What about you?" "The same..." Magna raised her hand and pressed a button. Blaster's image flickered and then disappeared. "He really isn't very smart is he...?" "No...but he is forceful." "Maybe that's why he was chosen..." "What...?" "You wouldn't believe me...in stasis I had a dream." Mega's eyes opened wide. "A gold mech with red lines..." he said. She looked at him with surprise as well. "...Sitting at a table in a white void." "This cannot be coincidence...yet...to even accept that..." "Well you never were pious...what was your mission...?" "Kill-" he stopped. "I think I can guess, I found it odd when he told me who to pick to command who to put under them..." "He told you...?" Mega sneered "It feel like all of this has been him pulling the strings, and how for back?" "So you do believe...?" "Whether I believe he exists doesn't change that I don't believe in him. Clearly he has been siting back and doing what?" "Who knows...I just know it's nice that there is a plan for all of this...?" "A plan, a plan that involved our friends dying...?" "Would you prefer they had died for nothing...?" "I would have preferred...I don't know...I don't know..." "That's the same ship everyone is in." "I'm going to go power down..." Part 5 "I really do not want to see you again..." said Mega. "Evidently..." said Sol. The two sat at the same white table in the same white void. Once again, he was drinking something, but now he had a datapad that he was reading with one leg across the other. "Why am I here...?" "You called, and I am in a mood to answer." "Is that why you never spoke, you were not in a mood?" "Such impudence, aren't you glad you got someone new to blame your problems on." "You don't know me!" "I know people, and I know I don't need to be omniscient to know your problem. Life hasn't gone your way, and who do you blame, me, everyone else, how about yourself?" Mega growled "When last I checked, you lot have free will yes...?" Mega calmed down. "Why didn't you stop this...?" "I'm neutral, I don't play favorites, or at the very least I try not to. Besides, if I do, do something, I prefer to be subtle about it..." "Like using us...?" "No, subtler. I'm here because I see the crossroads and have decided it is time to act." "What does that mean...?" "I see consequences, time, I see all the options as to how this plays out, and many do not lead to the bright future, Battle and I hope for, for your species." "Thanks, what about the war...?" "What about it, it has come and gone." "Why did it happen...?" "I'm not the one who decided to start a civil war." "You-" "You lot, you need to accept the facts, I work in mysterious ways, because mechs being utter wrecks, is the least mysterious thing on me." "What....?" "You lot went to war, because of 'your' choices as a whole, and now you need to stop Blaster because of the choices he has already made." "...I don't want to do this..." "I know. Yet I have been left with 'no choice'." "You always have a choice." "Remember that, when you think your choices don't matter." Mega's capsule opened, his attempt at rest cut short by his unwanted conversation. The doors opened to reveal Blaster with another bot with brown armor plating. They looked at him with surprise and he looked back annoyed. "Yo, Mega, my mech!" said Blaster "That was one short nap!" Mega simply raised an eyebrow and proceeded to get out. "What, you have nightmares or something...?" Blaster was clearly trying to be funny, what he was being was annoying. Mega began to stretch his shoulders and look at the brown mech who looked away like he was guilty of something. "Come on mech, a glitch got your voice box?" "Blaster why are you and your friend standing in front of my capsule while I am using it?" said Mega finally speaking. Somehow that question caught the two offguard. "What nothing, we were just talking, we didn't realize you were in there!" Mega pointed to the control terminal on the side of the capsule. It had a red light on it. "That light says it's empty, when it's green it is occupied. Also you just said I had a short 'nap', so I know you were aware I just got in there." "Look, bot, I don't know what you're insinuating but..." Mega raised his arm to the brown robot, extending out the gun barrels from his forearm and turning to said robot who had his fists in the air. He then aimed his arm blasters at Blaster, who was reaching for a gun from the compartment on his thigh. "So what is this then...?" asked Mega. "Boss bot, calm down, okay!" shouted Blaster "It's not what you think!" "Really, so you friend here wasn't trying to attack me from behind, and you're not reaching for a blaster?" "Uh...can we start this over...?" Mega grabbed the brown robot by the face and threw him into Blaster, causing both to fall while he walked away. "Oi what was that for...?" "That was me deciding not to blast you two in the face for acting suspicious." Mega walked of sighing. Optimum sat down opposite to Mega in the recharge hall. He slid him an open canister of glowing lavender fuel. Mega had sitting with his face in his hands and his elbows on the table making dents with their weight. "Is there a problem...?" asked Optimum before he down a canister himself. Mega looked at him. "You don't need to refuel, so why are you drinking?" "Because it's been a while since I've been able to overcharge like this with friends. So I ask again, something wrong?" "I think you already know the answer to that, to let me answer a question, with a question. What do you plan to do after this mission?" "Who knows, maybe I'll get the 'upgrade', maybe I'll open a shop, or maybe I'll just go back to the scrapyard with my friends." Mega paused. "You don't care do you?" "Nope..." "Why...?" "I'm not a smart bot Mega, I got sent to lead teams and I did that well, but I never got promoted, cause I never cared for battle plans, or this and that statistics. I know how to punch people in the face and shoot absurdly large guns." "You speak as if that's the only thing you can do." "It is, I'm not like you, I am war-built and I was built for war and little else." "Huh..." Mega leaned back and looked up and sighed "Is it so strange that I think things were simpler during the war?" "Nope. I think everyone is here because of that. War-built, pre-war generation. I don't think any of new what to do with ourselves after that last battle." "There is the upgrade, we all have different reason but it's not-" "You don't know people very well do you? It's okay, most command types are like that. Command typically puts the competent charismatic types that follow orders in charge." Mega was silent. He had never thought of himself like that. "But let's be honest, that whole upgrade business, it's a load of scrap. It's just the encapsulation of all of our issues." "I don't understand." "What were you before the war?" "I was studying to be starship engineer. I was hoping to get on a ship and go see the stars." "And now, what do you remember about such stuff..." Mega paused. He finally got it. "I remember how much blaster fire each type of hull plating can withstand, how to pull power from other system to the shields, how to repair turbo blaster turrets and that I should never stand next to the jump drive, during a jump or battle." "And that's why you never wanted the upgrade. Same with everyone here. We all say it's different reasons, but it's not." "...Do you believe in Sol...?" "Strange question...supposedly all power entity that lives in the core of our planet, created us, and judges us after death?" "That...the part everyone agrees on, yes." "Can't say I do, or don't. I just know they say he's mysterious. Can't say I blame him if is." "Why...?" "Because mechs beings wrecks is not very mysterious now is it?" Part 6 "So..." asked Mega back in the war room with the commanders "Who is going to attack?" "I'll do it...!" shouted Blaster. Everyone looked at him "What, you think I can't...?" "Blaster...this is probably the most dangerous part of the plan, with the most likely outcome for casualties, are you sure about this...?" "Are you kidding, this is my time to lead, my time to show what I'm made of! Those wrecks won't know what hit them!" "Do remember..." said Magna "That the goal is not to out shoot them but lead them into an ambush." "Right..." said Blaster a bit embarrassed. "That leaves Optimum to be the back up force, and Mega and I will deal with assisting blaster. Any objections, be quick, this operation starts soon." "Nope..." said Optimum "Alright, then let's go...let us end this once and for all..." Commanders came back online in the middle of what was a cargo bay. It was also where the teleportation system had been somewhat haphazardly installed. A grey and green robot was at the controls. "So, who goes first...?" he asked. "We're going!" shouted Blaster. "No..." said Mega soundly. Blaster looked at him scornfully "You're going into the most dangerous situation, and will probably be within firing distance of the enemy, we can't just send you there without first providing back up." Blaster's scowl turned into a look of embarrassment. "I suppose you're right..." he said motioning polite for Mega to go first. However when Mega and his group walked towards the teleporter, his expression was one of annoyance. The group of thirty took turns of group of five to be teleported down. Each bot stood on a pad on the floor of the large circular machine. Mega was with the first group, and he stood as the gate closed and the operator used the scanning system of the ship to detect and decide a location based on the guidelines of the mission briefing. "Remember..." said Magna "Com silence until the operation begins." White particles spun around them, quickly becoming ribbons of energy. From his point of view, space warped and rippled in the wake of these particles until all he saw a white void and a tingling sensation all over his body and just like that he saw it, a golden eye made of light and fire opening. Before he could react, the white void began to dissipate to reveal a rocky surface, with a black starry sky. Like that his senses began to operate on making sense of his surroundings. He felt his feet sinking into the dusty sand, letting him know the moon's surface was mostly sand. His olfactory senses told him there was an atmosphere before the scanner on his head, which like his optics told him about the two mechanoids in front of him sitting on rocks. Before he could react, two of his men shot them in the back of their heads, with blue bolts of plasma that took them out fairly easy. Mega crouched down and moved towards and the others followed suit, being moving out to make room for those coming. Mega looked at the bodies while more of his troops 'beamed' in. The bodies were...worse than he was back home. Their were not just rust spots, there was rust everywhere, the paint job had faded to a near dead grey, yet, that wasn't the worst part. Neither bodies had pairs of arms the matched and one had a leg that looked to be haphazardly put together from scraps and other pieces of junk. It was, in effect, a prosthetic, and from the look of the metal around it, it possibly was removed for medical reasons. These two were not dead however, which was why he could still tell the difference between living metallic flesh and the dead variety, the lifeless grey that was what remained of their heads. Their embers were still burning, like small little suns, 'made in Sol's image' as the religious would say, but without a connection to the body, brought about by the brain module, they would not have a way to tell their bodies to pump fuel into it. They would be unconscious and starve to death. However, that was what Mega believed, knew and expected. Instead the bodies turned grey almost as soon as he was done examining them. These bots where clearly, barely holding on, which may have been why they were here. As the others teleported reach for his com link but paused. His thoughts were to the plan, radio silence, if he called them now... It didn't matter much however. Blaster shouted into the air, calling out the enemy and immediately the battle began. The sound of blaster bolts being fired upon, explosions, he could hear them from the distance behind the factory complex as could his men. "Guess nothing left to do but wait for the signal..." said a soldier. That they did, they waited, and Mega was confused. If those two bots were anything to go by, this battle should be taking so long. Even Blaster was not the most tactical of processors, it was him and other fully fueled, heavily armed soldiers in pique condition versus a warband of bots who were practically scrapheaps at this point, with just barely enough fuel to survive. This battle should not be taking this long. "Alright guys, finish them off...!" said Blaster over the com system. "Alright...!" said a soldier. Already the others could see the smoke clouds as the two other parties were charging towards the facility. "Hold a moment..." said Mega solemnly. His men looked at him strange. "What..? Why, we're winning!" "This battle took too long, something is up, something is wrong, my instincts tell me..." "Instinct...?! You're afraid, that's what...!" Mega stood up and gave the soldier a look. "Fine, we go in-" The explosion knocked them all down, one big massive burst of energy that decimated the facility and generated a mushroom cloud. Mega got up dazed, stunned moving the unconscious soldier of his body. "Blaster..." he scowled. Part 7 "Okay ship, teleport us back, we're done here...the others will come along shortly." Blaster stood outside the blast radius behind one of emergency shield walls his group had set up, projectors that made energy constructs to protect them. He stood with not only his group, but also the enemy, bots just like the two Mega's group had taken down. They had rust patches all over, faded color schemes and some even had limbs replaced by junk parts hobbled together as prosthetics. All of them had tired, yet angry expressions on their face. "This is Mega...!" he shouted on the com system, "belay that order, Blaster and his group have betrayed us!" "What...?" shouted Blaster surprised "No, Mega is the traitor he...hello?" Blaster roared in frustration. "Find him, terminate him!" "If I may make a suggestion..." said one of the enemy. "What is it deathron?" "If you want access to your ship, then you need the one called Mega to give clearance to the operators up there to take you in a group." "What about your ship?' "Our ship is old and obsolete. If you want for this to succeed, you need that one alive..." Blaster growled. "Fine you lot, go find him, and bring him back alive. You, Deathrons, you lot go and search the remains for any survivors..." "Why...?" "Let us call it a hunch." "I can't believe it..." said the soldier "Blaster betrayed, that little glitch spawn!" "Ready yourself..." said Mega "They will be coming..." "What's the plan...?" "We fight...We have the uphill advantage, get ready for an ambush. I will go..." "What...?" "If Blaster has any sense, he know he needs me to get back to the ship. I have a plan." The traitor bots ran up the mountain as quickly as they could, their weapons were primed and they sported rifles or pistol type blasters. They knew Mega's group was stationed behind the facility and were going around the still burning mess. They were ready to fight, what they were not ready for, however, was the barrage of missiles them all down their line formation. When it was over, several of them were dead, many were critically maimed and missiles parts and screaming in pain, but a good few still got off easy with their injured. They spied Mega in the distance, not that he was trying to hide. He stood tall, proud and with his chest puffed out in silent defiance. The traitors sneered at him and he beckoned them to follow, via his arm, as he took off and ran. He was challenging them. It was a challenge they took. Mega now understood why the groups were as they were, each leader best represented the mindset of each group, Blaster's group all had his petty pride and easily bruised ego. They were quick to anger and wished to rampage. Without thinking, they had engaged in a chase across the mountain sides, one by one Mega was taking them down with well placed shots. In the end the last five found Meg standing at a cliff side looking down at the valley below, towards the former facility and where the traitors and the Destrons had gathered. "Hold it...!" one of them shouted. His arm had been transformed into a plasma cannon. Mega ignored him "Did you hear me...?" "I heard you..." replied Mega looking down. His telescopic vision showed him what had been found in the wreckage, badly damaged bots, critically injured from the explosion, still alive, but in need of major repairs, among them were Optimum, who was missing an arm, and a badly damaged leg as scorch marks covered all of his body. Magna was also there, in much worse shape, with much more of her body partially melted, and her right arm blown clean off. "So be it..." said Mega before he turned around "Take me to your 'leader'." "Well, well..." said Blaster with a smug tone "The mighty Mega captured. Mega just raised an eyebrow. "Really, could sound anymore like a stereotypical Destron?" "Hey!" shouted a Destron. "And why not...?" said Blaster "They at least remember who we are...!" "Little-bot..." said Mega "You clearly know absolutely nothing do you...?" "You dare?!" "I DARE!!! I remember why the war started, I remember how they bombed our homes, because we disagreed with them. I remember how we sought peace and they answered back with force. Yes, we were lost when the war ended, but to think you would betray us like this, I don't think you were ever one of us...!" "Shove your scrap up the exhaust, I was a good soldier, I fought and bled for our side, and I got nothing for it!" "You were newly built, constructed during the war, yea, you were never one of us, even the others of your generation took to heart our teachings, but you, you're a sad sniveling little thing looking for recognition" "And how does that make me a traitor...?" "They fought for their cause, you fought for yourself. Even 'they' fought for what they believed in. In a way, you're worse than them, at least they stand by and suffer for their believes. You have none but your own ambition..." "Spoken like the defeated..." Blaster said smuggly. "Bot, it is long past due, that someone put some sense into you..." "And how do you presume to do that...?" "Blaster I challenge you..." "What...?" "I challenge, you, no blasters, no weapons, just servos versus servos." "Why should I bother accepting this challenge, I have won!" "Simple...do you really think they, or your men are going to follow, a weaklings...and a coward...?" Blaster looked around and saw that all optics were upon his person, clearly waiting for an answer with judgmental looks. Even his own men waited for him to answer these challenges, the literal one and the one to his character. "Fine...!" he shouted in frustration. Part 8 Their weapons were retracted as the mechanoids gathered around them in a circle, giving them a wide girth to battle in. Mega stretched, and loosened his gears while Blaster looked at him impatiently. "Any time now, old model!" he shouted impatiently. "Fine..." said Mega "Come at me." he slammed his fist into his palm, letting out a thunderous pang of metal. Blaster charge, moving first with an uppercut. Mega deflected it to the side, leaning out of the way. He did this over and over, being pushed back. He was well aware of the traitors and Destrons behind him, and was not willing to trust them to play fair. He countered Blaster's forward momentum with a kick to the groin following by a lunging forward punch to the face that sent him stumbling back.Category:One Shots Category:SolZen321 Category:Macro Bots